The Savage Rifts site makes use of the Adventure Deck, which provides some small but significant benefit when played. Novice characters draw one card per quarter; More experienced characters can draw and hold one card per rank (Seasoned is two, Veteran is three, etc.) but can still only play one card per quarter. (You can also buy extra cards with EP or get them by being a Patron - those don't count toward the hold limit and can be played at any time.) Cards may be traded 1 for 1 between characters in the same group. So if your cybernetic techno-warrior draws the "Arcane Inspiration" card, it can be traded to the mage for their "BOOM! Headshot" card.

The deck can be found here (ignore the "Held By" names--those are for the ones people have bought with EP or Patronage):Adventure Card

Just roll a 1d54 below and look up which card that corresponds to. Be mindful of your draw number; the card numbering is one off from the row numbers in the spreadsheet (Row 2 is Card 1, Row 3 is Card 2, and so on). Go ahead and post which card(s) you drew below. Cards are drawn first come first serve, so if you get a roll that has already been rolled by someone else, just note it and reroll.

Important: After you roll, please edit your post to include the card name and description. This serves a few purposes--it makes it easier for later posters to see a duplication, it makes it easier to double-check for errors, and it lets me see all the cards 'in play' in one place when I'm designing encounters. Thanks!

Other Uses: If the GM is using a Planing and Operation scene outlined in the freedom squad (multiple dramatic tasks of increasing difficulty) playing an adventure card will automatically net you 2 automatic successes.

Holding Cards

You may, before the roll, choose to declare that one of the cards you drew last quarter, and did not play, stays in your hand, and identify the card by name AND number (so everyone else can cross-reference their rolls against it). If you do this, then reduce the number of rolls for this Quarter by one. So, if you're Seasoned, and you keep a card from last Quarter, you should only roll one time this Quarter.

Furthermore, first come first serve applies here. If another player rolls before you post, and they get the card you wanted to keep, then they have the card now, and you need to roll the full boat.

Play when your hero has been hit by an attack and there is an adjacent character. The other character suffers the attack instead. This may be played on friend or foe.

Seasoned: 1d54 = 45: 45

Renown

Play after completing a good deed of some import. You gain a permanent +1 Charisma bonus toward those who have heard of you (typically a 50% chance).

Veteran: 1d54 = 48: 48

Parely

All characters cease fighting and listen to the hero speak for at least 30 seconds. Others may only take defensive actions during this time. This has no effect on beasts and other creatures that cannot understand the speaker.

[b][color=#BF0000]Initiative in alphabetical order with players at the top, the in the same order with NPCs.
I will roll 1d56 for each of your initiative cards. I do not reroll duplicates, instead there are 2 extra Joker positions.
[list][*]Quick rerolls 20 or less
[*]Quickness with a Raise rerolls 28 or less
[*]53, 54, 55, 56 are considered Jokers
[*]Cards divisible by 4 are considered Clubs for hindrances affected by Clubs (excepting 56 which is a joker).[/list][/color][/b]

Dynamic Backlash Table

2D6 EFFECT2 Catastrophe: Something goes terribly wrong. The GM must decide what, but some ideas are a new and permanent Minor Hindrance, the inability to use powers for several days, or an explosion of some sort. The backlash should be thematic if possible. If the hero tampers with dark forces for his abilities, for example, he might become corrupted or summon something sinister into the world. If he’s a weird scientist the device might explode for 3d6 damage in a Medium Blast Template, or he might develop a Quirk, Phobia, or other “madness.”

3 Backfire: The power succeeds as with a raise but affects a different target with the worst possible results. A bolt hits a random friend, boost Trait increases an enemy’s skill or attribute, etc. If there’s no likely target, he’s Stunned instead. If the power has a Duration other than Instant, it lasts its full term and can only be negated by dispel (the caster can’t voluntarily end it herself).

4–5 Short Circuit: The power fails but the Power Points allocated to it are spent, along with an additional 1d6 Power Points.

6–8 Stunned: The caster is Stunned (see page 106). She subtracts 2 from arcane skill rolls for the rest of the encounter (the penalty remains –2 even if she gets this result again).

9–10 Overload: The character’s synapses crackle and overload with power. He takes 2d6 damage plus the cost of the power in Power Points, including any Power Modifiers the player declared.

11 Fatigue: The character suffers Fatigue.

12 Overcharge: The power draws ambient energy from the air, automatically succeeding against the target with a raise and costing the caster no Power Points!

"Possible and practical are two comrades who rarely see eye to eye."
Rob Towell